Airborne chemical dispenser



y 7, 1964 R. M. SCHECTER .AIRBORNE CHEMICAL DISPENSER Filed 001;. 31,1961 mm mm m mm R O 9 MN 2 M w m .3 9 mm mm 9 mm mm m ROGER M. SCHECTERATTORNEY United States Patent "ice 3,140,013 AIRBORNE CHEMICAL DISPENSERRoger M. Schecter, 5224 32nd Ave. SE., Hillel-est Heights, Md. FiledOct. 31, 1961, Ser. No. 149,136 5 Claims. (Cl. 222-146) (Granted underTitle 35, US. Code (1952), see. 266) The invention described herein maybe manufactured and used by or for the Government of the United Statesof America for governmental purposes without the payment of anyroyalties, thereon or therefor.

The present invention is directed to material dispensers, and moreparticularly, to a dispenser for releasing large amounts of materials orchemicals in a short time and dispersing the chemicals in apredetermined pattern.

Heretofore, various types of dispensers have been used for dispensingmaterials into the atmosphere from aircraft for one purpose or another.These dispensers have their drawbacks, such as the dispensers becomingplugged or clogged, which prevents satisfactory dispensing of thematerial, the materials not being dispensed in sufficient time to carryout the intended result. Nor is the material dispensed in a particularpattern.

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide adispenser which will dispense large amounts of particles or chemicals ina short period of time.

Another object is to disperse particles or chemicals in a predeterminedpattern.

Still another object is to provide a dispenser suitable for dispensingdifferent types of particles for a plurality of purposes.

Other and more specific objects of the invention will become apparentupon a careful consideration of the following detailed description, whentaken together with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a view in perspective, which illustrates the features of thedevice; and

FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view illustrating the relative parts of thedevice.

The present invention is directed to a particle dispenser comprising ametal tube, which has ends of greater diameter than the body and aninner liner of Teflon or any other suitable material, which extends theentire length of the tube. The outlet end of the dispenser is providedwith a deflecting bafile of a particular design to disperse theparticles in a predetermined pattern. A plastic sleeve is placed overeach of the ends around the tube, and about the plastic sleeve, anichrome resistance heating element is placed near the ends of the tube.A plastic diaphragm is stretched over each end of the tube, over thenichrome heating element and secured in place by adjustable bands placedabout the end of the tube. An electrical current is directed to thenichrome heating elements, which melts the diaphragms at each end andpermits particles contained in the tube to be forced therefrom by theram air pressure provided by movement of an airplane upon which thedevice is carried. Particles forced from the dispenser are dispersed bythe bafile secured to the end of the tube.

Now, referring to the drawings, there is shown by illustration, a devicemade in accordance to the present invention which includes a metal openended tubular member 11 that is provided with a support bracket 12,including eye hooks 13 by which the dispenser is connected with asuitable carrier, such as a bomb rack on an airplane or any othersuitable device by Which the dispenser is carried. The tubular member 11has a lining 14 of insulating material, such as fiberglass, Teflon, orany other suitable material, secured to the inner surface, whichprotects the metal from any chemicals carried in the dispenser, and alsoprovides a smooth sur- 3,14%,613 Patented July 7, 1964 face which aidsin dispersing the particles being dispensed. Each end of the tubularmember is provided with a sleeve 15 of insulating material about theouter surface thereof, about which nichrome heating elements 16 aresecured and connected in parallel electrically. The lead lines 17 fromthe heating elements secured about each end pass through suitable holesin the tubular member in the vicinity of the ends of the heating elementand are passed along the inner surface of the tubular member between theinner lining 14 and the tubular member. The lead lines are brought outat the support and adapted to be connected electrically with a powersource located and controlled by the carrier, such as any airplane orany other suitable device. In order to contain the chemicals, particles,etc., in the tubular member, a plastic dia phragm 18 is stretched overeach end, over the insulated sleeves 15 and the nichrome heatingelements 16, and secured in place by straps 21 and 22. Strap 21 issecured first, which holds the diaphragm in place and relatively tight,then strap 22 is applied near the nichrome heating element to insurethat the diaphragm is held tightly against the nichrome heatingelements.

The dispensing or aft end of the dispenser is provided with brackets 23on directly opposite sides of the tubular member for the purpose ofsecuring a deflecting baffle 24. The deflecting batfle can be of anydesired shape, which disperses the dispensed particles in apredetermined pattern.

The dispenser is made of the tubular member with the inner lining, thesleeve about each end, the nichrome heating elements secured about thesleeves near the end of the tubular member and with the deflector andthe support brackets. This structure makes up the dispenser and can beused many times in dispensing various types of particles, chemicals,etc. In use, one diaphragm is secured over one end of the tubularmember, about the nichrome heating element, and secured in place bystraps 21 and 22. The dispenser with one diaphragm secured in place isthen turned with the open end in an upright position and the tubularmember is then filled with the particles or chemicals to be dispensed.After filling the dispenser, the second diaphragm is secured in place toretain the matter to be dispensed in the dispenser until it is desiredthat the matter be dispensed. Since the dispenser is provided with aninsulating liner and the diaphragms are of a plastic material, thedispenser can be stored for some time with the material therein, withoutharmful effects on the dispenser. The diaphragm 0n the forward end is ofa thicker plastic than that on the rear, so that when an electrical loadis applied to the heating elements, the rear diaphragm will burn throughfirst to insure the particles being forced from the dispenser in theright direction.

In operation, the dispenser is loaded as described above, and thenloaded onto the carrier from which the particles are to be dispensed,such as an airplane. In case of an airplane, the dispenser is loadedonto the bomb rack of the airplane and the electrical load lines areconnected to the electrical circuit of the aircraft. When the aircraftis in flight and in the proper area for dispensing the particles, theelectrical switch that controls the load to the nichrome heatingelements is closed. The electrical load applied to the nichrome heatingelements heats the elements, which burns through the plastic diaphragmon the rear, first, and shortly thereafter, the forward diaphragm burnsthrough and the ram air pressure caused by the motion of the airplaneforces the particles from the dispenser in a very short time. Thebaffle, or deflector, secured to the rear of the tubular member deflectsthe particles into the slipstream of the aircraft, where the particlesare dispersed into a predetermined pattern in accordance with the designof the baflle, or deflector.

A dispenser such as illustrated above can be used for releasing chemicalagents into clouds in connection with cloud modification studies, forweather modification studies, cloud physics research, cloud markingtechniques, clear air turbulence studies and the creation of uniqueradar targets, such as chaff, in electromagnetic counter-measureexperiments.

The dispenser has been described as having a metal tubular member withan insulating liner; however, it will be obvious to others that thetubular member could be made of other material without departing fromthe invention. Also, the dispenser can be made of any desirable lengthand diameter, depending on the use and the amount of material to bedispensed.

Obviously many modifications and variations of the present invention arepossible in the light of the above teachings. It is therefore to beunderstood that within the scope of the appended claims the inventionmay be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

What is claimed is:

1. A particle dispenser which comprises an elongated tubular member, anelectrical heating element secured completely around each end of saidtubular member on the outer surface near the ends thereof, means forconmeeting said electrical heating elements with an electrical load, endcover means adapted to be secured over the ends of said tubular memberand said heating element around each end, said end cover means adaptedto be burned through by said heating element in the vicinity thereof.

2. A dispenser as claimed in claim 1 wherein said tubular member has aparticle deflector secured thereto near the after end thereof andpositioned across a diameter of said tubular member.

3. A particle dispenser which comprises an elongated tubular member,support means connected to said tubular member, an electrical heatingelement secured completely around each end of said tubular member on theouter surface near the ends thereof, a cover adapted to be placed overeach of the ends of said tubular member, said end covers adapted to burnthrough in the vicinity of said heating element by an electrical loadapplied thereto.

4. A particle dispenser which comprises an elongated metallic tubularmember, support means connected to said tubular member, an insulatinglining secured along the inner surface of said tubular member, aninsulating sleeve secured over the outer surface of said tubular memberat each end thereof, electrical heating elements adapted to be securedabout said insulating sleeves near each end of said tubular member, saidelectrical heating elements being connected in parallel electrically andadapted to be connected with an electrical supply, a plastic coveringadapted to be placed over each end of said tubular member and over saidheating element, and strap means for securing said plastic cover inplace about said ends of said tubular member.

5. A particle dispenser as claimed in claim 4, which includes a bafilesecured to the end of said tubular member, from which the particles aredispensed.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,576,804 Mornik Nov. 27, 1951 2,773,496 Czarnecki Dec. 11, 1956 FOREIGNPATENTS 916,369 France Aug. 19, 1946

1. A PARTICLE DISPENSER WHICH COMPRISES AN ELONGATED TUBULAR MEMBER, ANELECTRICAL HEATING ELEMENT SECURED COMPLETELY AROUND EACH END OF SAIDTUBULAR MEMBER ON THE OUTER SURFACE NEAR THE ENDS THEREOF, MEANS FORCONNECTING SAID ELECTRICAL HEATING ELEMENTS WITH AN ELECTRICAL LOAD, ENDCOVER MEANS ADAPTED TO BE SECURED OVER THE ENDS OF SAID TUBULAR MEMBERAND SAID HEATING ELEMENT